Popular Romances of the West of England: Traditions of Tinners: Christmas-Eve in the Mines

Sacred Texts Sagas and Legends English Folklore Index Previous Next CHRISTMAS-EVE IN THE MINES. ON Christmas-eve, in former days, the small people, or the spriggans, would meet at the bottom of the deepest mines, and have a midnight mass. Then those who were in the mine would hear voices, melodious beyond all earthly voices, singing, "Now well ! now well; " [a] and the strains of some deep-toned organ would shake the rocks. Of the grandeur of those meetings, old stories could not find words sufficiently sonorous to speak; it was therefore left to the imagination But this was certain, the temple formed by the fairy bands in which to celebrate the eve of the birth of a Saviour, in whose mercy they all had hope, was of the most magnificent description. Midsummer-eve and new-year's day and eve are holidays with the miners. It has been said they refuse to work of those days from superstitious reasons. I never heard of any. [a] "Now well I now well! the angel did say To certain poor shepherds in the fields who lay Late in the night, folding their sheep; A winter's night, both cold and, deep. Now well ! now well ! now well ! Born is the King of Israel !" Next: Warnings and "Tokens"